During the manufacture of semiconductors, a large number of integrated circuits are normally manufactured on a single substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is separated to form individual integrated circuit chips. The integrated circuit chips are easily damaged if not handled properly.
Packaging systems have been developed to protect the integrated circuit chips during the manufacture process. These packaging systems are typically manufactured from a non-metallic material that will tend to cushion the chip to minimize physical damage to the chip and that will not react in any manner with the chip.
One such packaging system is described in Wallestad, U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,459, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. The Wallestad packaging system patent includes a plurality of chip trays. Each of the chip trays has a plurality of recesses formed therein that are each adapted to receive one of the integrated circuit chips. The chip trays are stackable to facilitate transporting the integrated circuit chips in a relatively dense configuration.
The chip trays include a tray portion and a rail portion. The tray portion is where the chip recesses are located. The rail portion extends around the tray portion. The rail portion is located below the tray portion to thereby define a recess in a lower surface of the chip tray. The recess is adapted to receive the tray portion from a lower chip tray to facilitate stacking of the chip trays by positioning chip trays on top of each other.
Nemoto, U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,438, discloses a tray for semiconductors that is particularly suited for semiconductors that have several leads extending therefrom. The Nemoto device includes an upwardly extending frame around the region where the semiconductor is stored. The Nemoto device also includes a rail that extends around the tray. This rail connects directly to the base.